Breeching.



'Patentd July 30, mm.

E. E. ECKER. BBEECHING.

(Application filed Feb. 16, 1901.)

(No Model.)

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UNiThn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERASTUS E. ECKER, OF ST. GEORGES, DELAXVARE.

BREE-ICHING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 679,609, dated July 30,1901.

Application filed February 16,1901. serial No. 47,546. (No model.)-

To to whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ERASTUS E. ECKER, a citizen of the United States,residing at St. Georges, in the county of Newcastle and State ofDelaware, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inHarness-Breeching, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that part of a harness which passes around thehaunches for preventing the vehicle from running upon the horse.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple,light,strong,andcomfort-able breeching which is so constructed that it will notinterfere with the stride of a horse when trotting, pacing, or runningand will not draw the hind legs or slip up onto the back when goingdownhill with a heavy load.

The invention resides in a harness part having two light narrowbreeching-straps the ends of which on each side are fastened to a commonholdback-strap ring. The upper breeohing-strap is arranged to pass highon the hips and around the buttocks just under the tail, where it isloosely connected with the crupper. The lower breechingstrap passesaround the haunches a little lower that is, just below the hindmostprotuberant portions of the buttocks. A spring-stay eX- tends from onebreeching-strap to the other each side of the point of attachment of theorupper, and these hold the two breechingstraps separated, so that whenupon the horse the buttocks protrude through the opening between thestays and the straps.

Of the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, Figure 1shows a view of the hind part of a horse with a breeching in place; andFig. 2 shows a View, on a larger scale, of the breeohing laid out flat.

The crupper 1, that is shown in the drawings, is of common shape andconstruction and is attached to the back-strap 2 in the usual manner.Each end of the lower breeching-strap 3 is looped throughaholdback-strap ring at, and each end of the upper breechingstrap 5 ispassed through one of the rings and buckled to itself, so that itslength may be adjusted with relation to the length of the lower strap.The upper breeching strap passes through a loop 6, that is fastened tothe crupper. The connection between the breeching-strap and byball-and-socket fasteners 10 to the stays in order to form a coveringfor the space between the stays and the straps.

The breeching-straps work above and below the protruding portions of thebuttocks and have a double bearing, which prevents chafing. As thestraps when in position are not low enough to interfere with the freeaction of the hind legs, they may be drawn tightly across the haunchesand around the rump, so that they can neither slip above nor drop belowthe buttocks. The crupper is loosely connected with the upper strap, soas to allow a little sidewise movement when the horse turns, and theapron, if used, forms a protection for the tail and the driver of thehorse.

This invention is particularly applicable for racing-horses, and it isso constructed that when upon a horse it will not interfere with hisgait, whether trotting, pacing, or running, and will not draw his legstogether and cause him to interfere or strain his tendons. This tightbreeching holds the horse straight in the shafts, and should he breakimmediate control is had over the horse, as there is no slack to betaken up, and, furthermore, there can be no jerking back and forth, dueto slack, if the horse should run.

This breeching can be attached to any track or road harness, and itrequires no hip-straps. It lies on the haunches and hips, so the actionof the whirlbone does not cause it to chafe the skin, thus preventingsoreness.

I claim as my in vention-- 1. A harness-breeching consisting of, twostraps connected at their ends, one strap being attached to the rear endof the crupper and the other depending below, whereby one strap, whenthe breechiug is in use, passes above the protuberant portions of thebuttocks, and the other strap passes just below the protuberant portionsof the buttocks, substantially as specified.

2. A harness-breeching consisting of two straps connected at their ends,one strap being attached to the rear end of the crupper and the otherdepending below, whereby one strap, when the breeohing is in use, passesabove the protuberant portions of the buttocks and the other strappasses just below the protuberant portions of the buttocks, and staysconnected with and holding the straps separated, substantially asspecified.

3. A harness-breeching consisting of two

